Greetings from Ananda Village.

Lisa Powers wrote a wonderful blog post about the open houses at Crystal Hermitage Gardens. It was great to see people from the surrounding area come and enjoy the gardens.

I spent a lot of time in the gardens recently. I have been working on a book of photos of the gardens and was rewarded with a never-ending supply of material. The gardens were spectacular.

I watched as the gardens seemed to gleefully anticipate the two-weekend open house and how mother nature timed the rains to accommodate the 1100 visitors. We had rain before the open house and a very heavy and much needed rain after. During the time of the open houses the gardens seemed especially joyful. The color schemes of the tulips were fantastic, the dogwoods were very lush and the colors combined with the spring sun were so rich and vibrant. I was amazed. Oh… and the fragrances and the sounds of the birds and the rushing of the Yuba River in the distance…

Congratulations to the staff and gardeners at Crystal Hermitage. I complimented Jivada, one of the gardeners once and his reply was: “… just a willing instrument.” He took no personal credit for the beauty of the gardens. It was a lovely example for me of someone trying to live with the thought that God is the doer and the calm joy that results from that effort.

The gardens have matured over the years. The devas - nature spirits - must be very pleased.

I am posting a small collection of photos for you. A couple of them were taken during the open house and one right after the big rain when the sun came back out.

I just realized that this is my first post of the year 2009! I am sending blessings and prayers for light and joy to you all.

I’m always conscious of the fact that living the teachings of Ananda – the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, is an every day, every moment decision. But, sometimes that decision seems to stand out in bright, beautiful contrast to the way most of the rest of the world lives.

This is a long blog, but I wanted to share this story with you.

It is traditional for the Living Wisdom School intermediate class (grades 3 – 6 this year) to take one or two overnight field trips during the year, with the help of teachers and parents.

We recently set off on an overnight trip to eastern Oregon, to visit the High Desert Museum during their Pioneer Days Festival. We had many enthusiastic parents so our caravan consisted of 5 cars, loaded up with 10 kids and 7 adults. We could have squeezed into fewer vehicles, but it seemed right to do it this way. This is one example of living intuitively, from the heart and not the head.

We stopped at a scenic viewpoint and enjoyed lunch at the picnic tables. We were friendly with the other travelers there, including a young woman with a little dog who asked for directions. After lunch we put everything away, locked up the cars and went down the trail to the view.

When we came back up to the parking lot about 20 minutes later, the kids were the first to notice that one of our cars had a smashed window. The driver quickly discovered his wallet was gone and another one of our drivers reported things missing from his car, although no windows were broken. The young woman with the dog told us she heard the car alarms and there were two other cars in the lot that were also vandalized while she was in the restroom.

The kids were disturbed and upset, and we immediately reassured them and started making calls. All of our adults were calm and focused on solutions to the situation. As we worked on the best way to handle the thefts, we also were considering how to keep the children’s energies from moving into fear, anger and blame.

When the owners of the other vandalized cars arrived on the scene, one man reacted with explosive anger, frustration and agitation. Shortly after, we discovered some of the stolen items were visible in the young woman’s car. As we all realized the thief was right in front of us, our adults continued to be calm and focused on safety for all concerned. The other gentleman was beside himself with anger.

In a matter of moments, we knew the children had to be taken away from the scene and four of us loaded them in three vehicles. Three of our adults stayed to deal with the circumstances.

We took the kids to a nearby resort and tracked down a place to sit quietly and have lemonade. When everyone was calm and cool, we explained what had happened, reassured them that all the items were recovered and the police were taking the thief into custody. We also took time to send healing prayers and thoughts of light and love to everyone concerned, particularly the woman who felt so desperate and friendless that she believed preying on others was the only way to survive.

The children responded with various levels of emotion, but they all focused on positive thoughts and gratitude. They took all their emotional energy and played outside with great enthusiasm until we were able to meet up with the others of our party.

Another remarkable part of the story is that the man who was so agitated actually had a heart attack at the scene and an ambulance was called to care for him. He recovered.

The sheriff showed up at our rendezvous point and kindly gave all the children an opportunity to check out his really cool police vehicle. He patiently answered all their questions and gave us a large chunk of his valuable time.

We continued to our destination much later than planned, but everyone was relaxed and grateful for the mutual support and harmonious conclusion to the day’s drama.

As I processed the incident and looked at it from every angle I could imagine, my heart was overcome with gratitude and love. I couldn’t see any moment when the consciousness of God and guru was not present. Although three of the adults in our group are not disciples of this path, they are sensitively attuned to the Living Wisdom School philosophy, which is built on these teachings.

The situation was a complete surprise, and yet, our intuitive guidance to take an extra car meant that we were able to split up and keep the children safe. Everyone worked to keep the energy high and joyful, affirming the many positive aspects of the circumstances: the breathtaking scenery, the lovely weather, the kindness of the sheriff and others we met, the return of all the stolen items, the fact that the damaged car was still useable, the thief was caught and we didn’t spend the rest of the trip wondering who did it.

There was simple awareness and acceptance that life offers a mixture of joy and pain. The enraged man with the heart attack was a glaring example of what can happen to your inner peace if you react to life with personal outrage and blame.

Without the conscious choice to keep God and guru the center of all things, the trip may have been a long experience in suffering and loss. But we had a wonderful time!

It is a remarkable gift, to see that there are no circumstances where the highest truth is not present. Living the teachings means living from that realization.

In Joy,
Lorna

For the past two years, spring tours of Crystal Hermitage Gardens have become a Northern California event. About 1,000 people drove from as far as the Bay Area during two weekends in April to enjoy the the thousands of tulips, flowering trees, and soaring views of the Yuba River Canyon: the breathtaking setting for Crystal Hermitage at Ananda Village.

The constant stream of visitors drove through the Village, slowing as they passed by the apple orchard near the entrance, to watch Ananda people building “the food forest,” our first efforts at permaculture.

Onward they drove, up and over the hills, to bravely climb the steep paths that lead to Crystal Hermitage from the forested parking lot. Oh, but the reward was well worth it! As they entered the gates, friendly Ananda faces and a place of heavenly beauty welcomed the guests.

Crystal Hermitage is the home of Swami Kriyananda when he is in residence, and a spiritual center of the community. Many events take place in the spacious grounds and house: weekly meditations and spiritual gatherings, birthday parties, weddings, and celebrations of every kind. It is also a place of spiritual retreat for Ananda’s guests and residents alike.

Over 30 years of loving, attentive care that have gone into planting the gardens and erecting buildings, have borne fruit. An aura of profound healing peace permeates the Hermitage grounds, uplifting everyone who comes.

The weather was pristine, with temperatures in the low 80’s. It was a photographer’s paradise. Bright sunlight illuminated the gardens, enticing everyone with a camera to capture the beauty of the moment.

People leisurely strolled down the main staircase, along the terraces, and the koi pond, often stopping to admire this or that display of blossoms that spoke particularly to them. Every bench and low wall provided restful points in which to enjoy the surroundings. Some sat quietly, others chatted, happy to share this special day with friends.

Refreshments were served on the wisteria-covered patio of the main house. The house itself was open for tours, welcoming people with its unusual, soaring architecture, original paintings, hand-carved Kashmiri furniture, and artifacts from around the world.

A few visitors meditated near the statue of Babaji (one of Ananda’s line of yoga Masters) in the Lower Gardens, while others sat near the landscaped pool to simply absorb the beauty and peace of the grounds.

The Chapel in the Upper Gardens inspired appreciative questions about its construction. The Chapel is built of stone, its size and architecture reminiscent to that of the Porziuncola of St. Francis near Assisi, Italy. A few commented that this is where they would like to have their wedding.

Avid gardeners had the pleasure of meeting with the Hermitage staff landscapers to identify plants and talk “all things garden.” The Village residents milled about, serving as hosts to the awe-struck visitors, answering their questions about the gardens, community, and Ananda’s spiritual path. Children found enjoyment at every turn, and everyone had a smile or a look of peace on their face, their hearts opened to the beauty and spiritual vibrations of the place.

We didn’t leave our guests nourished by spiritual beauty alone. After touring the gardens, many stopped for a gourmet vegetarian lunch served at the Expanding Light. Their day was now complete!

And so was ours, for all of us serving at these events felt great joy along with a renewed sense of gratitude at the opportunity to share it. It was a beautiful divine exchange between Ananda and our guests, who may have not otherwise visited us, were it not for the Gardens. No matter what people may call it, they have truly experienced the joy of their soul, the joy of God.

Lisa.

Watch 6-minute video of the Crystal Hermitage Gardens: